Gate-latch.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.1. BETTGEH.

GATE LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT. 24. 1914.

Patented July 9, 1918.

m: nomas Frans ca.. nom-umu.. wAsHlusruN. n. c4

@Aat J. carreta, or eaAvuLBoUaG. SAsKArcHsWAN, CAnAzDAv GATE-LATCH,

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented. July 9, 1918.

appucauoa ne@ Settembre 24, 1914.. serial No. 863,341.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l', CARL J. BETTGER, subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Gravelbourg, in the Province of'Saslratchewanand'Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gate-Latches, of which the following is a specication.

Vl`his invention relates to gate latches of that type which areautomatically operated to close the gate after'thepassage of a vehicleltherethrough in either direction, and has for its principal object toprovidea simple means which in connection'with a sliding gate vadaptedto be openedby Vhand and to automatically close through the op'- eratingof a weight, spring, r other means, of` a latch connected to operatingmeans on both sides of the gate which upon the: passage thereover of amoving vehicle,- will release and'permit the gate to close, thus savingtime and relieving the driver of the necessity of descending from thevehicle Vto close the gate. Y

The above and additional objects are accomplished by lsuchmeans as areillustrated in' 'the accompanying drawings,described in the followingspecification and then `more particularly 'pointedout vin the claimswhich are lappended hereto and form a part of this application."

lVith' reference to the accompanying drawings, whereinl 1haveillustrated'the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced topractice, and throughout the several views of which like characters o freference desigdetail of the vehicle actuated ous trackway 8 at such adistance above the ground that the ordinary carriage, wagon or othervehicle can readily pass therebeneath. These uprights are embedded inthe ground in the same manner as the usual gate posts and are adapted tobe alined with the fence, it also being noted that fencing is to beinterposed between the uprights 6 and 7 although not so illustrated.-The automat-ically closing gate frame 9 consists of'a pair of uprights10 and 11 suitably connected by transverse bars 12`and'carryingattheir'upper ends the track sheaves '13, properly journaled adjacenttheextremities of the uprights and being' 'of such construction as toeasily run upon the'trackway 8. A small upright is' secured to thetraclrway 8 irrimediately above 'the upright 5 and also carries a pulley14: over which thel flexible connection 1.5`is adapted t0 run, one endof said connection being suitably affixed to the upright l()r ofthemovable gate' member and theother end supporting the counterbalancel'which is'of sufcient weight to overcome the forces ofgravity'andinertia on the movable gate lmember 9 unless such member isotherwise secured. As a Vfurther means to insure the easy running ofthis gate member and'to prevent its getting out of alinement with thetrackwayy 8 there Ais provided the roller 17 operating upon theundersurface of the lower'transverse member 12 and being carried by thevupright 6.

f' A latch plate 18 is secured upon the lower extremity of the upright10 of the movable member and operating thereagainst is a springcontrolled detent4 19 which is vertically mounted between the lspacedand integrall ears 210 of a supporting plate 2l designed to be securedto the upright 6 adjacent the base thereof. A Cotter pin lor othersecuring means 22 transfixes this dete'nt and interposedbetween such pinand the lowerear 20. is placed the coiled spring 23. The lower end ofthe detent after passing through' 'the' lower ear is enlarged to providethe angular .bearing surfaces 24 uponY which suitable bell cranks 25 and26 ar', adapted t0n operate under'pr'oper condi- HSM...

The bell crank 25 is pivoted to the angular'V ear 27 formed upon oneextremity of the supporting plate 21 and the bell'crank 26 is pivoted tothe main portion of the plate itself in the manner clearly illustratedin the drawings.

Situated a suitable distance from each side of the gate and in directalinement with the passage therethrough are provided the plungerchambers 28 which are U-shaped in cross section and adapted to receivethe plunger plates 29 for vertical reciprocation.

, wire, rope, cable or the like connects the free ends of the bellcranks 25 and 2G with between the gate and either plunger 29.

their respective bell cranks so that the operation of the'gate'may becontrolled by means of the plunger plates 29.

In practice, the plunger supports 28 are buried in the ground so thattheir tops shall be flush with the upper surface thereof as shown inFig. 2 and at a suitable distance such as twenty feet or more from thegate itself so that a'vehicle may readily stand The gate beingpresumably closed, the driver of the vehicle halts the same aiter thewheels thereof Vhave passed the nearest plunger plate and alightingdraws the gate back upon the trackway 8 to the position shown e gate inits open position.

in Fig. 1Vv at which time the spring 23 will' force the detent 19through theupper ear of the supporting plate 21 so as tov bearagainst'the force ofgravity exerted upon the counterbalan'ce 16.Owingto'the easy running of the movable gate member 9 which has beenassured byV providing the sheaves 13, the trackway 8 and the roller 17,the driver of the vehicle may easily place the his Y' seat, he has buttodrive through .the gate and proceed until the wheelsV of the vehiclecome in contact with the plungerj29 f on'y the far ,side of the gate atwhich time ,the plunger will be depressed against the action 'of thespring 33 and will accordinglyV draw down the slotted arm of the bellcrank 30 which will be transmitted into an out- Yward'movement upononeof the bell Vcranks 25 or l26 `consequently resulting in the de-`pressions of thedetentsl and the consequent release of the movable gatemember which willthus kbe free to act by the pull of the counterbalance16 and be automati-l callyclosed.

copies arrangement may be obtained Upon resuming Y land arrangement ofelements as constitute the preferred embodiment of my invention,

YI desirerto emphasize the fact `that I may make such minor changes inthe matters of proportion and degree, in later adaptations of my deviceas shall not alter the spirit of my invention as ldefined in theappended claims.

What Iclaim is: e Y

l. A latch release comprising aY supporting plate, a spring presseddetent slidablev in said supporting plate and normally projectingthrough and beyond the same,\bell cranks pivoted to said supportingplate facing in opposite directions and swinging in the same plane forretractingpsaid detent, one arm of each bell crank bearing directly onthe detent, plunger chambers adapted to be sunk in the ground at adistance from said supporting plate Vand detent and on opposite sidesthereof,pli1ngers carried in saidV chambers, and means for-transmittingthe motion of -said plungers to said -bell cranks to release saiddetent. l

2. A latch release comprising a latch memberhaving an angular end, asupporting member for` said latch member, bell cranks Y pivotallymounted upon said supporting. member to swing 1n the same plane, one armof each bell crank bearingupon Athe angular end of saidlatch member,resilient means for normally retaining said latch member.

in foperativeV position, plungers at la dis-V tance from and on oppositesides of saidV latch member, a supporting member for each of saidplungers adapted to be placed acrossr a roadway below the surface oflthe same, a bell r`crank connected by one .arm vto each. plunger, andconnections between the bell crankson said plungers and said first namedbell cranks lcooperate the latter when aV plunger is' depressed andforcesaid. latch member into inoperative position.v i In testimony whereof Iaiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

y Witnesses: Y v J. L'KniwRiN,

A. L. Brommer..4

CARL J. BETTGEn/

